Ozone may be used for various industrial and commercial applications like air purification, water treatment, odour removal, and so forth. Popularly, ozone may be produced using devices (such as an ozone generator) by utilizing principles such as corona discharge. Corona discharge is the production of an electrical discharge around an electrically charged conductor. In an ozone generator, the electrically charged conductor may be placed between two dielectrics to define two gas chambers on either side of the electrically charged conductor. A gas stream containing oxygen molecules is then passed through the ozone generator. Corona discharge ionizes some of the oxygen molecules in the gas stream. Thereafter, the ionized oxygen recombines with oxygen molecules in the gas stream to produce ozone.
For example, European patent EP1165435 B1, “Pressure compensation ozone generator and method for generation of ozone”, discloses an apparatus and a method for ozone generator by exposing oxygen to a high frequency alternating current with high voltage over a dielectric. The apparatus includes a pressure compensation admitting unit, joint together by at least two plates of a dielectric material and there between a present electrode, on which a high frequency alternatively current with high voltage is applicable; and two sealed spaces for generation of ozone on opposite sides of said unit. The respective sealed space on the opposite side of said plate of dielectric material, is delimited by an earthed and cooled electrode, through which oxygen gas or gas rich in oxygen is supplied to the space and ozone is conducted out of the same.
However, such known ozone generators may be subject to pressure variations therein. For example, the gas stream may flow unevenly around the electrically charged conductor, thereby leading to an uneven (or non-uniform) gas distribution within the two gas chambers. Consequently, such gas distribution may lead to development of non-uniform pressures within the gas chambers. Therefore, the electrically charged conductor and/or the two dielectrics within the ozone generator may be subject to non-uniform stresses.
Moreover, production of ozone may generate heat within the ozone generator, and conventionally water cooling may be used to dissipate such heat. However, the use of water as a cooling medium may not be optimal due to presence of high voltage current with respect to such devices.
Therefore, in light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with conventional ozone generators.